What things did you not think about during planning?

Some random things:

* The dollar dance. Huge in my family and for our nationality. I mean, I know about it and have participated in it a gazillion times, but just two days ago my sister mentioned it. And I just glared. I had forgotten all about it. Forgotten to mention it to our DJ, didn't ask anyone to be in charge of it. Just slipped my mind completely.

*Readings during our ceremony. We wanted our officiant to choose special readings. He did based on our meetings with him and conversations. They are perfect. BUT, We were ill prepared as to just how many people really DON'T like public speaking!

* Take home cake. Ask venues if they provide cake boxes, most will which is saving yourselves money on purchasing your own to use. (IF you want people to leave with a slice of heaven)

* Find out when you can drop off Welcome Bags to hotels. And then, find out if you are able! If not, plan to ask for someone to do so/help!

* Until recently, I hadn't thought about my wedding gown getting OFF of me at the end of our reception. It has a trillion buttons going down the entire back. It requires a crochet hook to close them AND get them off. My future MIL actually said something about it. In regard to me sleeping in the dang thing because her son was in NO WAY going to be in the right frame of mind to undo them all. LOL. He is unaware that there are buttons like that, (was one of his favorite things on a gown I had tried on shortly after we got engaged so when I found my gown, I was super stoked about it having the buttons he adores) ... But he knows that it requires... a crochet needle and work. He swears he can handle whatever it is we ladies speak of in concerns over it all, but ... No. He cannot. LOL. I wish I had thought of it sooner, or that my funny FMIL mentioned it sooner, If so, I wouldn't be on the hunt last minute for a reception gown like I am now, one that I love, within my own comfortable budget and WITH A ZIPPER. Think about the gown getting off of you at the end of a very late night!

* Bags.!!! Good quality bags to carry all our ceremony/ wedding reception items to our venue and for storage. As we are having a destination wedding (drive time, not flight) we have to bring all our items with us. They are to all be labeled and placed in a special room the day before our wedding. All good, except for the bags. SO, I went on TEMU and ordered a BUNCH for LOW COST, so it still didn't break the wallet. And all great in quality.

*Home Printer Ink. (Jeesh.) If you see a sale, don't wait- thinking you'll get it later, just get the dang printer ink.

* Make sure you secure the rings to the ring pillow with Velcro if you are using a pillow.

*The cost of the wedding license. It ended up being a little bit more than we had researched. Twenty dollars over, so not much but when realizing this, we checked pricing on copies of wedding license (which we want to get more than one since we are getting married OUT of our home state) The costs for copies are more than we anticipated and had researched before as well. This does not put us over budget but are costs we didn't anticipate being so different.

* Something that ended up costing TOO MUCH that we had initially planned for and set aside money for but took it off the necessity list: A Suburban rental. I have two four door cars, he has two trucks. One is a two-seater and the other his main vehicle, pickup truck, extended cab long bed. We are taking a LOT of items with us, including our puppy and wedding attire and we wanted to rent an enclosed Suburban for the trip. Both of my cars will be too small to handle all items, as will his two-seater truck. However, the pricing is nuts, has been. We took it off the drawing board. If we come across a great deal, we will do it. But for now, we are putting the cap on his truck, he is cleaning out all of his work tools (yikes), we'll clean her all up and rock the truck. I just have to pack all items differently due to this. I will not ask anyone to be responsible for our wedding items, it's our responsibility. If we don't end up finding a deal last minute, that money will go towards our spending money as we will be in our wedding area three days before the wedding and for two days after.

*Hair and Makeup costs. Set more than you think you should aside, set more aside in your budget for it. Set more aside in case a lady forgets her wallet, or someone can not afford a service.

* Set aside Tips for Vendors in advance.

* Can you leave items at the venue and collect them the next day? Do you have to remove them all that night? Will the staff pack items up for you to pick up the next day.

* Who will take the cards gifted and left in the card box/ cage at the end of the reception? Who will take the gifts? Where are they taking them? Or are they going with you to your suite/ cottage/ home?

*If having a wedding WEEKEND, and you as the bridal couple are NOT hosting a Day After Breakfast/ Brunch or Lunch, schedule time into the next day for that to possibly happen. A family member may want to provide that for a last-minute gathering before leaving the area. Consider this in advance and determine if you'd like to partake in that, in advance. That way, when and if it is suggested to you- you are both prepared with an answer to it and on the same page with it! Just consider that it may be offered.

*Alterations. Thankfully, my gown didn't need many (it's fairly simple and minimalistic) Even though my seamstress is very reasonably priced as well, the cost is still a shocker.

* Transportation from one hotel to the venue. This was one of our "For the people's" we wanted to do, however after pricing quite a few transportation options, and also having the FMIL do so, we took that off the drawing board. The cheapest price received for a total of two and a half hours was three grand. The ONE hotel it would bring people from and to is a SIX-minute drive both ways. That's it. Six minutes. (The other hotel is at our venue) My FMIL, though she is not paying for anything at all for the wedding actually put her own foot down on the idea after helping me to get quotes. She said "there are Ubers and taxis and that's that. A very kind gesture you two are offering, but these are adults now and the pricing is astronomical. They can handle themselves when it comes to the matter." She's 100% correct. We are not putting transportation for guests back onto the drawing board. We tried, it's ridiculously priced and we are doing enough as is.

* An added cost that we didn't realize would happen, but we paid for: Tent rental. Due to our headcount we had to reserve a tent rental in case of inclement weather. (Part of our reception's sized room is based on a huge deck that is on the water) A deposit was required to reserve it for the day. If we end up having to use it, we then will have to pay for the remaining cost. Neither the deposit to reserve it or the entire cost is... cheap. BUT that's what life insurance is all about too, Protection from the what-ifs and unknowns. SO, we chalked it up to that, readjusted and moved on from it. I will say, not hiring a florist has helped greatly with these "hidden" costs. I'd rather have reassurance with that tent, than two thousand dollars' worth of florals.

There is no doubt going to be so many other pop-up surprises coming in the next weeks. I forgot to pick a song we WALK OUT OF THE CEREMONY to. So, add that to the list.

* No one tells you or can prepare you even, for how quickly the time starts to move with last minute tie ups and decisions a month out from the wedding. The beginning of this month, I started getting what I refer to now as "The sympathy stare" from brides who've been through it- when I tell them how far out we are from the wedding. I appreciate the feedback they have given to me too. None of it with a gentle hand either. Most commonly heard has been, "OHHHH. You're that close now?" insert this really sympathetic look, lol or the: "Oh my. I'm going to be honest, ok? It's going to get worse for a little bit. Just... take it one day at a time in the next month Hunny". Insert again that look. Or "Yikes" Then ... the look. and the: "Ugh... I remember that period in time and I don't miss it at all. Hang in there, sweetheart. We are here if you need us" <- The lovely ladies at Michaels. All while having... "that look" LOL.

* Where we spent too much money already? I don't have an answer for that, but from what I've read we will AFTER the wedding day. LOL.

We have managed to stay within our wedding budget. Granted there are some things most people include in their budget that we did NOT. My wedding gown was not in our budget, nor his attire. Our outfits for the wedding weekend, not in the budget. These were our own personal choices to make. And we both did so smartly.

Larissa, take a video of your seamstress using the crochet needle. You don't need a shot of the whole dress. Let FS watch it. I brought my fiancé to my last alterations appt so he can video how to do the bustle.

You shouldn't expect that either of you will be out of it by night's end. Some casual afterparties carry through the morning and eventually you become clear-headed enough to disrobe. Don't hurt yourself finding a last minute dress! Best wishes.

Didn't predict my husband's self-involved friends would try to make the wedding weekend about them.